Bahrain : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting, at Gudaibiya Palace.
The Cabinet noted the outcomes of the discussions held by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, and their importance in further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The Cabinet commended the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the United Arab Emirates, and His Royal Highness’ attendance of the National Day celebration at the Kingdom of Bahrain’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The Cabinet praised the UAE’s success in hosting this global event and recognised the national effort that enabled the Kingdom of Bahrain’s participation in the exhibition, noting that participation reflects the culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its development progress.
The Cabinet also congratulated the President, Government and people of the UAE on the occasion of the UAE’s 50th National Day.
On the occasion of Bahraini Women Day, the Cabinet expressed its congratulations to all women in the Kingdom and praised the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women, headed by HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women, in the advancement of Bahraini women.
In light of the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant across several countries, the Cabinet affirmed its commitment to continuously monitor global developments and stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain is currently free of the new variant.
The Cabinet affirmed that necessary measures will always be taken to protect Bahrain’s citizens and residents. The concerned authorities have been directed to continue their monitoring procedures.
The Cabinet commended the public’s adherence to all precautionary measures, and highlighted the importance of continuing to adhere to them, including receiving a vaccination and booster shot to ensure the health and safety of all.
The Cabinet discussed several memorandums during the meeting, with the following outcomes:
Firstly: The approval of the following memorandums:
1. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance on the Financial Services Sector Development Strategy (2022-2026), as part of the priority development of promising sectors within the Economic Recovery Plan, launched in accordance with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad and announced by the Cabinet chaired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The strategy is based on five priorities related to creating job opportunities, developing legislation and regulatory policies, financial services and fintech, the capital markets sector, and the insurance sector, through the implementation of 47 programmes.
The strategy also targets 8 indicators, including increasing the contribution of the financial and insurance sectors to GDP.
2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision to amend the list of health professions issued by edict No. (24) of 2016.
3. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on an MoU between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of South Korea on cooperation in the field of civil service.
4. A memorandum by the Minister of Interior related to the digitisation of some services provided by the General Directorate of Civil Defence at the Ministry of Interior, on the e-government portal. This includes services related to issuing fire safety certificates for buildings, services related to security and safety equipment, and the issuance and renewal of licenses.
5. A memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding the introduction of an option to extend the validity of building permits for an additional year, provided that the extension request is submitted before the permit expires.
6. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding the government’s response to a proposal submitted by the Council of Representatives.
Secondly: The Cabinet reviewed the following topics:
1- A joint memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the Minister of Labour and Social Development in relation to occupational safety and enhancing safety requirements for contractors at work sites, the preservation of lives and property, and the legal responsibilities of the relevant authorities.
2- A memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding progress on the implementation of priorities, plans and programmes in accordance with the 2019-2022 Government Action Plan.
The Cabinet then took note of Ministerial reports regarding; Bahrain’s participation in the 12th conference of the Arab Ministers of Education, the 17th edition of the Manama Dialogue, the foreign participation of Ministers and senior officials in December 2021, as well as a review of the calendar of events from November 2021 to March 2022.
